


Shaky Breaths

by Revasnaslan



Series: Anemones and Thistles [6]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Panic Attacks, Regeith Winter Exchange 2k18, regris is a sweet boy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-18 02:33:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13090569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Revasnaslan/pseuds/Revasnaslan
Summary: Disastrous missions leave an impression, even if you make it out alive.—Written for the Regeith Winter Exchange.





	Shaky Breaths

**Author's Note:**

> Written for candyfoxdraws over on tumblr for the [Regeith Winter Exchange](https://regeithgiftswap.tumblr.com/)!! I hope you like it!!
> 
> Also first fic of 2018!! :D

The mission should have been a standard information gathering one—Keith still couldn’t pinpoint exactly where it had gone bad. Even though he was sure both he and Regris had followed all of Kolivan’s orders, somehow— _somehow_ —they had still tripped a sensor… or perhaps, they had been spotted on a security camera. It most certainly hadn’t been someone tipping off the commander in charge of the battleship, thank the stars. Keith and Regris had been lucky to get away in one piece. It _could_ have gone much worse.

Keith knew that—the very idea of it plagued him. His dreams were sporadic, nothing more than shadows of events that could actually have occurred… he smelled nothing but smoke, heard nothing but screams. If they were his own or Regris’s, he couldn’t tell. Abruptly, he awoke, gasping for breath, clawing at the metal floor of… _something_. It took a moment for his mind to catch up with his memory, for him to remember that they were on the escape shuttle. The knowledge that both he and Regris were safe following their disastrous mission did little to stop the quaking in his bones. He could feel someone touching his arm. It was a gentle touch, meant to be comforting, but Keith’s heart still hammered in his chest as he fought to breathe. Then, a low, hissing voice reached his ears as someone spoke to him.

“Keith?”

He turned, chest heaving, to meet Regris’s gaze—still hidden behind his mask, but even that was comforting. Regris tilted his head to the side, and after a tick, his mask flickered and disappeared. Even though his face was still hidden in the shadow of his hood, Keith saw the slight, concerned crease of his brow there.

Then, Keith felt a couple of tears roll down his cheeks—he hadn’t even realized he had been crying.

Regris’s gaze softened. “Keith—”

Keith turned his head, averting his gaze as he wiped away his tears. His shoulders still shook, but he said nothing—what was there to say? It had been a long… _long_ time since he had cried in front of someone else. He took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm himself. Around them, Keith could hear the soft hiss of air circulators, the hum of the ship moving through hyperspace. Keith didn’t know how long they had been traveling since jumping to hyperspeed, but he assumed that soon they would arriving back on Olkarion.

He stiffened when he felt Regris’s hand on his shoulder, but he took a deep breath in and let it out before allowing himself to relax again. Only then did Regris’s hand move to his back, and begin rubbing in slow circles. There was the soft, anxious clicking of Regris’s toe-claws against the floor, and the tip of his tail twitched back and forth.

“Pidge said… this is supposed to help?” Regris ventured in a soft voice, sounding a little unsure.

Keith managed a nod, curling up in on himself as he pressed his forehead to his knees. “Thanks, Reg…” he managed, before letting out a shaky breath.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Regris asked carefully, trying not to upset Keith further.

Keith hesitated. Because he did—he _really_ did… but the words caught in his throat. Instead, he mutely shook his head as he turned to meet Regris’s gaze again. He wasn’t surprised when Regris nodded in understanding.

“Another time then…” Regris said, offering a comforting smile. Never once he did stop rubbing Keith’s back, not even when Keith’s breathing had evened out completely.

As Keith’s panic dissipated, a wave of overwhelming exhaustion came over him, and his eyes began to feel heavy. He leaned most of his weight against Regris’s side, resting his cheek on Regris’s shoulder. Then, he let out a sigh, and relaxed completely. The slow, measured movement of Regris’s carefully sheathed claws against his back was beginning to put him to sleep.

“Feeling better now?” Regris asked.

“Much…” Keith managed to whisper as he shifted and shoved his head up underneath of Regris’s chin. “Thanks, Reg…”

A pleased, low, hissing purr was the only response he received in return.

Keith didn’t know when he fell asleep again. However, this time, he didn’t have any nightmares.

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: [revasnaslan](http://revasnaslan.tumblr.com/)  
> beta'd by: [Akumeoi](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Akumeoi/pseuds/Akumeoi)


End file.
